Family affair for player and coach

New open-age coaching team at Higginshaw RL, pictured here are (l-r) Jordan Hanley and Nathan Jewitt also coaching will be Adam Newton (unavailable for pic)

NATHAN Jewitt wants to reclaim an identity for Higginshaw RLFC.

The 24-year-old, who has a long family association with the club, has become joint player-coach at Oldham Edge along with two contemporaries, Jordan Hanley and Adam Newton.

Already, numbers at training have been good ahead of next month's entry into a North-West Counties Entry League.

Essentially, that acts as a warm-up for a real go in the North-West Counties League next summer.

"I grew up with the club, but for some time now I don't feel it has had a proper identity," said Jewitt, who has been on the books as a professional with Huddersfield Giants in the past.

"We have had a winter team including lads from St Anne's, then they go back for the summer, then it's back to winter again.

"But the signs at the moment are good and we are getting good numbers at training."

Jewitt's father Mark and great-uncle Peter are previous coaches of the open-age side at Higginshaw and he admits it is a club that fits perfectly.

"I played at Waterhead last year and took a knock that kept me both out of the game and off work for two weeks," he added.

"At Higginshaw, they will do anything for you in those circumstances. I realised then that it's my home."

Training takes place at Oldham Edge on Wednesday nights from 7pm.